Protection of the upper gastrointestinal mucosa: the role of antacids.

Experiments performed in animals and in healthy human subjects suggest that antacids increase prostaglandin synthesis and have a cytoprotective effect on gastroduodenal mucosa. To investigate this hypothesis, the ability was evaluated of an antacid containing an aluminium/magnesium hydroxide combination (Maalox TC) to modify prostanoid production at the gastric level in 28 patients with gastric antral ulcer of various sizes in different stages of activity with or without erosive gastritis. After the antacid treatment, a significant prostaglandin E2 reduction was observed, together with a significant 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha increase, but there was no thromboxane B2 variation at antrum level, nor any significant modification of prostanoid production at body level. The decreased prostaglandin E2 levels, detected after treatment with the antacid combination, may be due to lesion improvement, decreased synthesis or increased catabolism by mucosal cells, to a drop in this prostaglandin production by inflammatory cells. As far as 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha is concerned, the obtained data confirm the results reported by other authors in healthy human subjects. The increase of this prostaglandin could enhance blood flow, resulting in a protective effect.